Reservoir construction.



No. 728,691. PATENTED MAY 19, 1903. P. EVANS. RESERVOIR CONSTRUCTION.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

POWELL EVANS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO INTERNATIONAL SPRINKLER COMPANY, OF PHILA- DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPOBATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RESERVOIR CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 728,691, dated May 19, 1903.

Application filed December 16,1902. Serial No. 135,407. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, POWELL EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Reservoir Construction, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in tanks forthe storage of fluid, and more particularly consists in an improved [0 supporting structure for an elevated tank designed to supply water to any desired type of fire-extinguishing system.

The object of the invention is to provide a strong and reliable supporting structure for a tank of the vnature noted above which shall be capable of fulfilling, in addition to its ordinary function, the function of a supplementary reservoir to be used for the storage of water to be used as a gravity suction-feed for a pump, as'a source of supply for a firepump, or any other desired purpose.

A further object of the invention is to so design the elevated tank for the supply of water to a fire-extinguishing system that its supporting structure shall be of such form as to occupy a minimum of floor-space, this latter structure being, moreover, provided with means whereby the stability of the elevated tank shall in no wise be impaired either by 0 the presence or absence of a body of fluid in the supporting structure or reservoir.

These objects I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- 7 Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the outside appearance as well as the detail construction of a supply-tank and its supporting structuredesigned according to my invention; and Fig. 2 is a diagram- 40 matic side elevation of a building and its tank structure constructed in accordance With my invention, the tank being illustrated as being designed with a series of reservoir-compartments each connected to the fire-extinguishing system on one of the floors of the buildings In the construction hereinafter described it will be understood that the elevated tank or top portion of the structure shown inFig;

l and designated by the letter A is primarily designed to supply water tothe sprinklers of a system for extinguishing fires in one or more buildings, and for this reason said tank should be placed at an elevation of at least fifteen feet vertically above the highest 'sprinklerhead of said system. It will be'understood by those skilled in the art that it is also frequently necessary or advisable to provide a reservoir to feed the fire-pump of the system, and in city locations, where space is usually an important consideration, it is of vital importance to place this latter reservoir where it does not occupy valuable room or, it possible, inwhat would otherwise be waste space.

At the same time such a reservoir must be in a convenient situation relatively to the pumps and other apparatus of said system.

. It is with the idea of efficiently and cheaply attaining the above objects that I provide a single substantially cylindrical stand-pipe whose top portion serves as the primary supply for the sprinkler system and at the same time utilize the lower portion'of the structure necessarily required for the support of said elevated tank as a reservoir for water for pumps or other purposes.

In the above drawings, A represents asubstantially cylindrical stand-pipe composed of a series of plate-sections riveted together and so designed as to beself-supporting in the ordinary well-known manner. This structure is preferably provided with side stays a for the reception of bolts a, extending into and permanently embedded in a concrete foundation B. The upper portion of the structure A or tank proper is provided with a conical bottom (1 provided with a suitable fitting a for attachment to the pipe a, leading to the sprinkler system, which pipe is usually in a number of sections and provided at any point between the bottom of the tank'a and the foundation with an expansion -joint of. A second line of pipe (shown at a) serves to convey Water to and from the reservoir A formed by the standpipe between the bottom of the elevated tank A and the foundation B, this serving, as above noted, the double function of support for said tank and of water-reservoir. When the cubical contents of the reservoir A and the height required for the tank A above the highest point in the sprinkling system are known, it will be understood that the diameter of the said reservoir or base portion may be easily calculated, while knowing the required contents of the elevated tank and the diameter of the lower portion of-the stand-pipe the vertical height of the tank A may also be computed. While it will be understood that the presence of water within the lower reservoir A serves to strengthen the same as regards its capacity for supporting the tank A, the lower structure will naturally be designed with sufficient strength to support the tank A when this latter is filled, irrespective of whether said lower portion contains water or not. In view of the possibility of a collapse of the lower structure under the pressure of the atmosphere in case a vacuum should be formed therein bythe drawing off or leakage of the liquid therein I provide an opening or manhole at the upper end of said lower section, having a cover or held closed from the inside, so that should pressure be exerted thereupon from the outside said covcr would act as an automatic valve to open inwardly and prevent the crushing or failure of the structure. Internal and external ladders d and d, respectively, are provided, these being of the ordinary construction well-known to the art. I also preferably construct the upper portion of the stand-pipe with a manhole a in its side, which serves the same purpose as does that in the lower section, there being, if desired, a manhole a placed in the top or cover of the standpipe, through which access may be had to the interior thereof.

It will be understood that the number of sections into which any stand-pipe may be divided maybe indefinitely multiplied without involving further invention beyond the mere duplication of the structure shown in the drawings herewith. For example, the standpipe may be constructed, as indicated at A in Fig. 2, with a series of conical partitions a by which it is divided into a number of independentcompartmentsorreservoirs. Each of these is provided with a pipe a leading to any desired point of distribution, being, as in Fig. 2, connected to the sprinkler-system equipment of a building G, it being understood that the various tanks may be filled from suitable branch pipes (not shown connected, if desired, at convenient points to the various single discharge-pipes shown,though, if considered advisable, a single filling-pipe having outlets at each compartment may be employed for this purpose. In said Fig. 2 the sprinklers of each floor c of the building are supplied from asingle reservoir independent of those for other floors, while, as before, the pipe a, connected to the lowest portion of the reservoir, may be connected to a fire or other pump. Any one or more of said compartments may, if desired, be subjected to air-pressure to accelerate the speed of distribution of water. a

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a water-tank having a plurality of independent chambers, with a building havingapluralityof floors, each provided withan independent fire-extinguishing system, with means whereby each chamber of said tank is connected to the fireextinguishing system of a fioor or floors of said building lying at a level below said chamber, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a building and a water-tank, said building having a plurality of independent fire-extinguishing systems, and the tank having a plurality of independent chambers each connected to one of said systems, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a water-supply tank, a substantially cylindrical water-tight structure supporting said tank in an elevated position, a conduit leading from said second structure, a second fluid-conductor leading from the bottom of the first structure and extending through said water-tight supporting structure, with means included in that portion of the second conductor between the bottom of the elevated tank and the bottom of the supporting structure whereby changes in the distance between said two points may be permitted without injury to the pipe, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a water-supply tank, a substantially cylindrical water-tight structure supporting said tank in an elevated position, a conduit leading from said second structure, a second fluid-conductor leading from the bottom of the first structure, said supporting structure and the elevated tank being formed as a continuous cylinder, substantially as described.

5. A cylindrical stand-pipe having within it a series of partitions forminga plurality of elevatedreservoirs, an independent pipe'line leading from each reservoir, the lower portion of the stand-pipe being an inclosed water-tight structure, and serving to support the elevated portion thereof, said supporting inclosed portion also having a pipe-line leading from it, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

POWELL EVANS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, J 0s. -1. KLEIN.

IOO 

